mICdrop - Sequel Presents a digital Internal Communications Podcast

mICdrop episode 23: The new IC and HR relationship

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:00:00 +0100

Our latest mICdrop guest is Perry Timms, a well-known and respected figure in the world of HR as a thought leader and challenger of the status quo.

Perry, the chief energy officer at PTHR, the business he started after departing the corporate corridors.

He is a passionate advocate of HR adopting new ways of working and embracing fresh operating models.

In this episode of mICdrop, Perry discusses how HR and comms teams should work together to make sense of these new ways of working and how to communicate them to employees via the power of storytelling.

It’s a fascinating discussion which throws new light on the relationship between HR and IC and will be of interest to those working in both disciplines.

If you liked this episode, contact us to find out more about Sequel’s podcast offering and an introductory chat about that and the other services we offer via email here or get in touch via form here.

mICdrop episode 22: Empathy, authenticity and timely communication in a challenging world

Tue, 26 May 2026 15:00:00 +0100

The world is a difficult place. So how can communicators hope to help employees navigate it?

In this episode, Melanie Hinds joins Claudi Schneider, Sequel’s Head of Video and Animation, to chat about the importance of empathy, authenticity and timely communication – especially right now.

Melanie Hinds is Global Head of Internal Communication and Employee Engagement for a leading organisation, with over 25 years’ experience specialising in strategic comms, internal comms, creating centres of excellence, ED&I, change and culture.

mICdrop episode 21: What Comms can learn from Marketing

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0100

Our latest mICdrop guest is Edeje Onwude who, after 14 years’ experience and success in global brand Marketing, made the switch to communications and what she calls ‘the more human side of communications’.

In this episode, Edeje joins Suzanne Peck, Sequel’s Managing Director, to chat about the impactful tips that communicators can learn from Marketing, the two unshakeable beliefs that have guided her career to date, and why she’s a ‘self-appointed’ Chief Joy Officer.

mICdrop episode 20: Working hand in hand with the robots, IC's people-first future

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000

If you listened to some of the doom mongers out there, the rise of AI will hasten the demise of the internal communication professional.

And while it's clear that AI is increasingly being used by organisations as part of their comms toolkit, it's not the only show in town.

Indeed, the use of AI at the right time in the right place gives IC pros a chance to prove themselves as invaluable in the modern business landscape.

That's the verdict from Lee Smith and Emma Bridger, co-founders of The EX Space and authors of People First Communication, a new book which focuses on the human skills that can make a difference in the boardroom and the factory floor.

In this mICdrop episode, Lee and Emma argue that using AI effectively is enabling comms pros to redefine the value they bring to the table and that by using their 'superpowers' they can make a bigger impact than ever before.

mICdrop episode 19: Making change personal with the Wobbly Model

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Our latest mICdrop guest is Karen Dempster, Co-founder of Fit2Communcate and creator of the Wobbly Model, a straightforward guide to communicating change.

This six-stage model takes a more human-centric approach to change communications by helping organisations get their employees through the ‘wobbly’ moment – the destabilising feeling employees experience when change is announced.

In this episode, Karen joins Sequel’s Jason Dowty to chat about the model and it’s six stages and to explain the importance of providing emotional support when communicating change.

mICdrop episode 18: The people-first approach to digital transformation

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

A few years ago we heard a horror story about an organisation that had launched Viva Engage with a solitary email from the CEO, saying “Hey guys, we’re launching Viva Engage today. It’s a bit like Twitter. Have fun!”

With minimal planning and communication, you can imagine how successful that launch was.

At the other end of the scale are Currys, who launched Microsoft Teams and Viva Engage last summer with great care and attention.

In this mICdrop episode, David Manning, Senior Manager – Culture, Change and Communications, explains the impact of Currys putting listening at the heart of their digital transformation approach.

“Discovery was absolutely paramount,” he says. “We’d been using Workplace before and when that closed down, rather than just copying how we had used it, we listened to what colleagues want now, and what they expect to see in the future. And then we used that insight to shape our Viva Engage platform.

“We’ve positioned it very differently off the back of that discovery work. And that has really engaged our colleagues, because they can quickly see the value of it.”

David also shares his tips for staying positive while you’re working on projects with particularly challenging timelines!

mICdrop Episode 17 : All in a good cause: the art of communication in the not-for-profit sector

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0100

Our latest mICdrop guest is Vishnee Sauntoo, a strategic communications leader who has over 20 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector.

Over the past two decades, Vishee has delivered impactful, creative communications for the likes of Age International, British Heart Foundation and Save The Children. She is also a Board Trustee and mentor Charity Comms, the membership network for communications professionals working in UK charities.

In this episode, Vishnee joins Sequel’s Jason Dowty to chat about her passion for the not-for-profit sector, its unique challenges and the secret of delivering engaging communications on a budget.

It’s a fascinating topic and an episode not to be missed.

mICdrop Talks Digital Episode 5: The Sequel social wall with Rozi Pearson

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 09:00:00 +0100

It’s one of the most daunting challenges for internal communicators: getting those hard-to-reach, frontline and on-the-road colleagues to engage with communication and actually join in.

Sound familiar? Well, we think Rozi Pearson, our Head of Digital, might just have the answer your organisation has been looking for.

In our latest mICdrop Talks Digital episode, Rozi is joined by Becky Couper-Leonard from our Insight team to talk about how our award-winning social wall has helped previously disconnected colleagues to be part of the conversation and own their experiences.

#DigitalWorkplace #Social #EnterpriseSocialNetwork #FrontlineEmployees #InternalComms #EmployeeExperience #Leadership #InternalCommunication #ModernWorkplace

mICdrop Episode 16 : Exec leader communications

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Colin Archer Head of communications at Spirax Sarco and Nick Andrews Business Development Director here at Sequel Group, tackle the questions every internal comms professional should be asking:

➡️ Do you truly understand the most pressing problem your organisation is facing?
➡️ And what role can you play in helping to solve it?

This isn’t just a conversation about leadership communication styles — it’s about how internal comms can become a strategic driver of clarity, alignment, and action at the executive level.

If you work in IC, this is your invitation to step beyond the newsletter and into the boardroom. 🎯

Give it a listen, and ask yourself: Are you positioned to make a difference where it matters most?

mICdrop Talks Digital Episode 4: Cyber Security with Rod Farry

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0100

Cyber Security – Build it in, Don’t Bolt it on

Cyber security isn’t just an IT concern, it’s a business-critical priority. If it’s not embedded from day one, you’re already at risk.

In this episode of Sequel’s mICdrop Talks Digital, Rod Farry, Lead Developer at Sequel, joins our host and Head of Digital Rozi Pearson to talk about why security needs to be part of every digital project from the very beginning.

They explore:
🔍 Common blind spots that leave businesses exposed
🛠️ Best practices for building secure platforms
🚫 How to spot risks before they become breaches
💡 And why prevention always beats damage control

With so much on the line, can you really afford to leave security as an afterthought?

mICdrop Talks Digital Episode 3: Digital tools our best work friends with Adam Larsson

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0100

Digital tools can make life – and work – more efficient, simplifying complex tasks and freeing us up to do the creative stuff, but with so many to choose from in the workplace, how do communicators keep up without burning out?

In this episode of Sequel’s mICdrop Talks Digital, Adam Larsson, Solutions Architect and digital tools expert, chats to Rozi Pearson, Head of Digital, about how internal communicators can turn digital tools into our best work friends.

mICdrop Episode 15 : Showing up through DEI comms

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 09:00:00 +0100

Our latest mICdrop guest isn’t going to sugar-coat it – it's been a tough time for Inclusion and Diversity in organisations.

Karan Kapoor, Chief Executive and Founder at Vividh, joins Sequel’s Rebecca Leonard to explain that’s why it’s more important than ever that internal communicators are equipped to bridge the gap between "inclusion and impact".

Offering practical advice on:

· How to communicate about inclusion in the current climate

· How to move beyond posters and press releases into real behaviour change

· How IC pros can better support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) managers and the DEI roadmap.

An important topic, and an episode not to be missed.

mICdrop Talks Digital Episode 2: Digging into data with Paul Jones

Wed, 14 May 2025 14:00:00 +0100

What do office furniture, flat earthers and The Beatles all have in common?

They're all connected to the world of data, as Paul Jones, our Head of Insight, explains in our latest mICdrop Talks Digital episode.

Speaking with Rozi Pearson, host and Head of Digital, they dig into the important questions:

📊 What should you measure, and why?
🧠 Can you really understand your business with numbers alone?
⚖️ How do you use data to inform your internal comms strategy?

And if you’d like to know more about our measurement and listening services – including our DASH platform that helps you to measure the impact of your digital channels – then please get in touch with Paul today.

mICdrop Episode 14: Tackling the dark side effects of the digital workplace

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:00:00 +0100

So many of us spend much of our working lives online, using the latest digital tools. And our digital workplaces bring lots of positives in terms of allowing us to connect, collaborate, work flexibly, and not be tied to a desk.

But has enough attention been given to some of the negatives that can happen in terms of wellbeing?

A study from the University of Nottingham’s Schools of Psychology and Medicine has shown that many employees are experiencing mental and physical techno-strain because they’re constantly connected, and always feeling a pressure to be available, even outside of work.

In this episode, Elizabeth Marsh – who was the lead researcher – explains why employees are feeling overloaded because of this ‘hyperconnectivity’… but at the same time are worried about missing out on information.

If you’ve ever snuck onto Microsoft Teams while you’ve been off sick and feeling rotten, this episode is for you!

Elizabeth is the Director of Digital Work Research and has led numerous research and consulting projects relating to topics such as digital workplace strategy, digital skills, the future of work, digital leadership, technostress and more. She is also in the final stages of part-time doctoral research at the University of Nottingham on Digital Mindfulness, and has already published a series of papers in peer reviewed journals on employee wellbeing in the digital workplace.

mICdrop Talks Digital Episode 1: Demystifying AI with Dan Sykes

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0100

In our very first episode, Rozi chats with resident AI expert Dan Sykes about the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence. From helping clients unlock value through AI tools, to how Dan uses ChatGPT in everyday life. Whether it’s cooking, coaching, or planning holidays, this episode brings the tech talk down to earth. Packed with practical tips, relatable examples, and real-world insights, it’s the perfect starting point for anyone curious about how AI is shaping work and life.

mICdrop Episode 13: Celebrating 200 years with Cadbury colleagues

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Roadshows, concerts, recognition schemes, charity events, birthday presents and battling the Great British Weather… some highlights from Lucy Aaron’s incredible year celebrating 200 years of Cadbury with UK colleagues.

Lucy, Global Communications Manager at Mondelēz International, joins Rebecca Leonard, Sequel’s Insight and Content Manager, in our latest mICdrop episode to explain just how she helped to bring this massive, multi-channel, year-long campaign to life.

Sharing tips on:

Understanding what’s right for your audience
Considerations for roadshows at manufacturing sites
Creative ways to maintain interest and excitement in long-running campaigns.

mICdrop Episode 12: What we learned from our IC audit

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The internal communication audit. Seen by some of the holy grail of measurement opportunities. But how do you go about convincing leaders of its value? And what can you actually expect to get out of it?

In our latest mICdrop episode, we’re joined by Jamie Angus, Senior Internal Communications Manager at The Health Foundation, who shares his tricks and tips after conducting a communication audit with our Insight team.

That includes how to...

> Get uncertain stakeholders onside

> Persuade colleagues to take part

> Get immediate value from the results

Not to be missed. Listen now.

mICdrop Episode 11: What makes an award-winning communications team

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:00:00 +0000

What are the characteristics of an award-winning internal comms team? And how do you build a team with the right skills to add value to your business?

These questions and more are answered in our latest mICdrop podcast, with guests Justine Stevenson and Zoe Woodbridge from the exam body AQA.

mICdrop Episode 10: Use neuroscience to improve your IC

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Understanding just a little bit more about how our brains work can help us to deal with – and communicate – change more effectively.

Deborah Hulme, Director of our partners Minerva Engagement, chats to our Head of Insight Paul Jones about how 15 years of neuroscience study have shaped her approach to employee engagement and internal communication.

As Deborah says: “When our nervous system is activated because we feel under threat, our ability to think logically and strategically, or to take on board new ideas, is severely compromised.

“So at times of change we need to minimise that threat response and help people feel as secure and safe as they can do, given the uncertainty. Then they can come along with us because they’ve got the internal resources they need.”

mICdrop Episode 9: Whitehall and the workplace

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0100

The internal comms industry has a significant role to play in helping the new government to improve the corporate cultural landscape.

That’s the message from Jen Sproul, CEO of the IOIC, in the latest Sequel Presents mICdrop podcast.

Jen explains how the IOIC, together with other interested parties, are lobbying Whitehall to embrace initiatives which improve the working lives of millions and the environment they operate in.

As Jen says, IOIC members are closer to the workforce than anyone else and our industry’s voice can be a powerful force for good.

mICdrop Episode 8: Purpose into practice

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0100

Organisations are increasingly expected to step up and demonstrate a greater purpose beyond selling products or providing services — this includes showing employees that they take a stance on bigger societal issues.

Purpose matters to employees.

In this edition of Sequel’s mICdrop, Suzanne Peck, Sequel’s Managing Director, talks to Jen Stobart, Director for Tent UK.

Jen talks about the value of demonstrating purpose within business; why buy-in of employees and leadership is vital, with examples of where she has seen this deliver impact; and her key advice for putting purpose into practice.

About Tent UK: Tent UK is the national coalition of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, which was founded in 2016 by champion pioneer of purpose-led business, Hamdi Ulukaya — the CEO and founder of Chobani, a multibillion-dollar food company in the U.S. This coalition of over 70 major companies across the country helps refugees access the British labour market through job preparation and employment.

mICdrop Episode 7: Navigating ethics in internal communication

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:00:00 +0100

Ethics in internal communication – where do you start? In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Maloney, Internal Communications Manager and ethics advisor at Rolls Royce, who debates how digital channels have – or maybe haven’t – changed the way we think about ethical communication.

He shares practical tips on how to build leaders’ confidence with this issue, as well as, in his ‘mICdrop moment’, revealing his unique analogy on how to manage sensitive subjects in organisational communication.

mICdrop Episode 6: Putting The Frontline First

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:00:00 +0100

How do you engage frontline employees effectively? That’s the topic under discussion in Sequel’s latest mICdrop podcast featuring Jazz Hanley, Partner Manager at employee experience platform Workvivo and Sequel’s Nick Andrews.

mICdrop Episode 5: Scrums, Angels and agile working in Internal Communication

Fri, 17 May 2024 09:00:00 +0100

Tune in to our latest Sequel Presents mICdrop podcast to find out how a group of Agile Angels have helped change the way the internal communications team at Cambridge University Press and Assessment works.

mICdrop Episode 4: Whose line (manager) is it anyway?

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

mICdrop Episode 3: Outside in - the argument for mirrored messaging from comms teams

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0100

mICdrop Episode 2: The IC landscape in 2023

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 11:00:00 +0100

In the second of our mICdrop Sequel Presents podcast series, the CEO of the Institute of Internal Communication, Jennifer Sproul, discusses the current state of the IC landscape and the challenges communicators face in the months ahead.

The stock of the industry has risen since the pandemic but that has created its own issues for people working in IC roles, says Jennifer, with organisations putting more pressure on communicators to achieve results, often against a background of limited resource and with patience at a premium.

mICdrop Episode 1: The power of storytelling

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0100

Episode 1: featuring Brooke Kinsella MBE, former EastEnders actress and founder of The Ben Kinsella Trust, the charity campaigning against the modern day epidemic of knife crime. Brooke talked to Sequel’s Rebecca Leonard about the power of storytelling, her experience of using multi media channels to get the charity’s message across and how her experience could be applied by communicators working in the corporate landscape.